Girls Who Code Clubs Training

GIRLS WHO CODE

On September 27 over 100 students, parents and community volunteers gathered to kick off the district’s initiative to close the gender gap that is showing up in our computer science classrooms. The Northshore Schools Foundation is a proud partner, raising awareness, inspiring participation, and supporting these teams as they grow.

Girls Who Code teams are forming at every middle school and high school in the district, now.

What is Girls Who Code?

Girls Who Code is an afterschool club serving girls in 6-12th grade that meets once a week during the school year for two hours. The groups require access to computers and internet, and a volunteer facilitator that leads students through group activities provided through the Girls Who Code curriculum.

Girls Who Code facilitators must meet screening requirements by Girls Who Code AND the Northshore School District Volunteer Protocol. As an afterschool club, an academic advisor is required for supervision purposes. Girls Who Code is not an approved CMAC curriculum.

What’s our hope?

By engaging girls in both group work and challenging competitions, we hope to increase the number of girls choosing coding as their elective in middle school and continuing through the computer science pipeline throughout their education. We are hopeful that each group will participate in a regional competition that matches their group’s skill level and encourages networking with other successful group coders.

How is the Northshore Schools Foundation involved?

Raising awareness and excitement by hosting Girls Who Code’s Northshore Kick OffRecruiting community volunteers to act as facilitatorsProviding funding that is available through the Innovative Classroom Grant processOffering scholarships for competitions through the Opportunity Fund

What’s next

Schools are working now to recruit student advisors and secure spaces for the groups to meet on campus. The Northshore Schools Foundation is working to recruit volunteers to facilitate Girls Who Code groups, 2 hours a week for the school year.

Once space and facilitators have been identified, students who have expressed interest will be invited to join their school’s group.